Fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction



y 1966 R. E. WATSON 3,252,179

FASTENERCONCEALING HINGE LEAF CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ROBERT E. WATSON ATTORNEYS y 4, 1966 R. E. WATSON 3,252,179

FASTENER-CONCEALING HINGE LEAF CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "iii- 3a 2 FIG. IO

0 A I2 I INVENTOR.

ROBERT E. WATSON i BY /40 144' I40 2/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,252,179 FASTENER-CONCEALING HINGE LEAF CONSTRUCTION Robert E. Watson, Farmiugton, Mich., assignor to Swedish Crucible Steel Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,134 Claims. (Cl. 16128) This invention relates to toilet seat hinges and, in particular, to hinge leaves for such hinges.

One object of this invention is to provide a fastenerconcealing hinge leaf construction having a cover for the fastener holes adjacent the heads of screws or other similar fasteners used to secure the hinge leaves of toilet seat hinges to toilet seats or lids, so as to cover up recesses in which dirt might lodge or corrosion might occur from the corrosive fumes and liquids present in such installations, to facilitate cleaning and to conceal any discoloration which may occur.

Another object is to provide a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction of the foregoing character which is formed of resilient material, such as resilient synthetic plastic and which has projections resiliently engaging the fastener holes and/ or fastener heads.

Another object is to provide a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction of the foregoing character wherein the circularity of the counterbores of the fastener holes is interrupted by inwardly-extending lugs and wherein the projections on the cover have gaps receiving said lugs.

Another object is to provide a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction as set forth in the object immediately preceding wherein the projections are arcuate and the gaps therebetween slightly narrower than the widths of the lugs so that the lugs in entering the gaps engage the ends of the projections adjacent the gaps and wedge them away from one another, thereby more firmly forcing the projections into tight frictional engagement with the side walls of the fastener holes.

Another object is to provide a modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction of the foregoing character wherein the hinge leaf has a shoulder and the closure has an arm extending along the hinge leaf and terminating in an oifset portion engaging the shoulder.

Another object is to provide a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction of the foregoing character wherein the cover is of elongated form adapted to span a pair of fastener holes and wherein the projections thereon are disposed in alignment with the fastener holes whereby a single cover conceals a pair of fastener holes.

Another object is to provide a fastener-connecting hinge lead construction of the form set forth in the object immediately preceding, wherein a pilot hole or recess is disposed in the hinge leaf intermediate the fastener holes and wherein the closure is provided with an integral pin or protrusion entering and snugly engaging said pilot hole while the projections on the cover enter and engage the side walls of the fastener holes and/or the fastener heads.

' Another object is to provide a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction of a further modified character wherein the hinge leaf has grooves in the opposite sides thereof and wherein the closure consists of a plate with arms extending transversely thereto into retaining engagement with said grooves.

Another object is to provide a still further modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction wherein the cover consists of a channel-shaped member slidable over the hinge leaf and having a top portion extending over the fastener holes and having flanged sides extending up- "ice wardly over the sides of the hinge leaf with the flanges extending under the edges of the hinge leaf in locking engagement therewith.

Another object is to provide an additionally modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction wherein the fastener holes are covered up with filler material'around the heads of the fasteners and with the exposed surface of the filler material flush with the surrounding surface of the hinge leaf.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of a fastener-com cealing hinge leaf construction, according to one form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1, but with the hinge leaf attached to a toilet seat lid;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section, looking upward, and taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are enlarged bottom perspective views of the closure and hinge leaf separated from one another before installation;

FIGURE 6 is -a bottom plan view of the construction of FIGURES 1 and 2 applied to a transversely-widened hinge leaf;

FIGURE 7 is a central vertical section through a modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction with a cover having an arm with an offset portion engaging a shoulder on the hinge leaf;

FIGURE 8' is a bottom perspective view of a further modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction;

FIGURE 9 is a central vertical section through the hinge leaf construction of FIGURE 8 secured by fasteners to a toilet seat lid and equipped with a still further modified cover;

FIGURE 10 is a central vertical section similar to FIGURE 9 but showing a hinge leaf construction with fastener holes closed by individual closures;

FIGURE 11 is a bottom perspective view of an additionallymodified hinge leaf construction equipped with an additionally modified cover;

FIGURE 12 is a bottom plan view of the hinge lea and cover shown in FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a vertical section taken along the line 1313 in FIGURE 12;

FIGURE 14 is a central vertical section similar to FIGURES 9 and 10 but showing the fastener holes closed by filling material flush with the surrounding hinge leaf surface; and

FIGURE 15 is an exploded bottom perspective view of a finally-modified fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction having a slide-over cover of channel crosssection.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction, generally designated 8, including a fastener hole cover, generally designated 10 and a toilet seat hinge bracket or hinge leaf 12 to which it is attached. The hinge leaf 12 in turn is secured to a toilet seat lid 14 by fasteners 16, such as cylinder head Wood screws. The hinge leaf 12 is provided with a bored head 18 for the hinge rod (not into the counterbores 24 and over the cylindrical screw heads 26. The gaps 36 snugly receive radial lugs 38, preferably diametrically opposed to one another and slightly wider than the gaps 36 so as to force the arcuate lug ends 34 apart from one another, and thereby wedge the arcuate lugs 32 tightly into frictional engagement with the side walls of the counterbore 24.

FIGURE 6 shows the closure 10 of FIGURES 1 to inclusive as applied to a slightly modified toilet seat hinge leaf, generally designated 40, having an approximately T- shaped laterally-extending arm 42 widened relatively to the bores boss 44 thereof so that its fastener holes 46 with their counterbores 48 are disposed in a line perpendicular to the axis of the arm 12.

In the installation of the cover of the fastenerconcealing hinge leaf construction 8 either upon the hinge leaf 12 of the hinge leaf 40, the latter are first secured by their respective screws 16 to the toilet seat lid 14 (or seat, as the case may be), after which the pairs 30 of lugs 32 are lined up with their respective counterbores 24 and pushed into the counterbores 24. As the plate portion 28 is pushed toward the hinge leaf arm 20 or 42 into engagement with the arm surface 21, the arcuate lugs 32 snap into position on opposite sides of the cylindrical head 26 of the cylinder head screws 16 while at the same time the adjacent ends 34 at the gaps 36 are wedged apart by the lugs 38.

The cover, generally designated 50, shown in FIGURE 7 is applied to a hinge leaf 52 having a bored boss 54 and attachment arm 56 preferably widened at its outer end as in FIGURE 6 and equipped with either one or a pair of fastener holes 58 counterbored as at 60 with inwardlyprojecting diametral wedging lugs 61 to receive the heads 62 of cylinder head screws 64 similar to the screws 16 of FIGURE 2 and similarly securing the hinge leaf 52 to the toilet seat lid 66. The cover 50 is provided with a plate portion 68 having at one end a pair of arcuate lugs 70 similar to the pairs 30 of lugs 32 of FIGURE 4 and similarly fitting the counterbore 60 around the cylindrical head 62 of the screw or screws 64 and wedged apart by the wedging lugs 61. Remote from the lugs 70, the arm 68 is provided with an angle portion 72 hooked around a rabbet 74 in the hinge leaf arm 56 into engagement with the shoulder 76 thereof.

The cover 50 is installed. in a manner similar to the closure 10 by snapping the opposed arcuate lugs 70 into the counterbore or counterbores 50 after first lining up the angle portion 72 with the shoulder 76, which thereby serves as a pilot.

The further modified cover, generally designated 80, shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 is applied to an angle hinge leaf 82 shown in perspective in FIGURE 8 and provided with a bored boss 84 with an attachment arm 86 having fastener holes 88 and counterbores 90 for the cylindrical heads 92 of cylinder head screws 94. The hinge leaf 82 intermediate the fastener holes 88 is provided with a pilot hole or recess 96 disposed with its axis parallel to the parallel axes of the fastener holes 88. The cover 80 has a plate portion 98 with arcuate lugs 100 fitting into the counterbores 90 around the screw heads 92 and an integral pilot pin 102 projects upward from the plate portion 98 snugly into the pilot hole 96.

The installation of the cover 80 is similar to that of the closure 10 of FIGURES 1 to 6 inclusive except that the pilot pin 106 is first inserted in the pilot hole 96 and the plate portion 98 rotated around the pin 102 as a pivot until the pairs of arcuate lugs 100 are aligned with their respective counterbores 90. The operator then pushes the cover 80 into position by pressure upon the plate portion 98, as by applying his thumb.

The individual covers 110 of FIGURE 10 are applied to hinge leaves 12 identical with the hinge leaves 12 of FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive and having similar fastener holes 22, counterbores 24 and fasteners 16 with cylindrical heads 26. The individual covers 110, however, as

their names suggest, are single and unconnected in contrast to the double-lug covers 10 of FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive. Each cover may therefore be termed a cover button with a disc portion 112 from which spaced paired oppositely-facing arcuate lugs project in a manner similar to the lugs 32 of the closure 10 of FIGURE 4. As before, the counterbores 24 are provided with inwardly-extending diametral lugs 38 which engage and urge the ends of the arcuate lugs 114 apart from one another into frictional engagement with the side walls of the counterbores 24, in a manner similar to that shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive.

The additionally modified cover, generally designated 120, shown in FIGURES 11 to 13 inclusive is applied to an angled hinge leaf 122 having the bored boss 124 and projecting arm 126. The latter, however, is provided on its opposite sides with grooves 128 which receive approximately L-shaped arms 130 projecting parallel to one another from the opposite edges 132 of the plate portion 134. The plate portion 134 fits into a correspondingly spaced recess 136 in the hinge leaf arm 126.

The installation of the cover of FIGURES 11 to 13 inclusive is made after the hinge leaf 122 has been secured to the toilet seat or lid by fastening screws 138. To do this, the operator brings the arms into line with the side grooves 128 which serve as pilot grooves, after which he snaps the cover 120 into place by thumb pressure upon the plate portion 134 so that it fits snugly into the recess 136.

The cover, generally designated 140, shown in FIG- URE 14 is applied to a hinge leaf 12 similar to that shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive and hence designated with corresponding reference numerals. The fastener screws 142 have half round heads 144 which, when installed, lie within the counterbores 24. The heads 144 are covered by the filling material of putty-like consistency when applied, such as a powdered synthetic plastic containing a hardening substance and which soon solidifies. This material is forced into the counterbore 24 by means of a putty knife or other suitable tool and faced off with the adjacent surface 21 of the hinge leaf 12.

The finally modified cover, generally designated 15!), shown in FIGURE 15 is of channel cross-section adapted to slide over a hinge leaf 152 having a bored head 154 (only part of which is shown) and attachment arm 156 with opposite sides 158 and undercut raUbe-ts or grooves 160 forming shoulders 162 along the sides 158 remote from the surface 164 of the attachment arm 15 6. Counterbored screw holes 166 receive fasteners, such as roundheaded screws 168, by which the hinge lea-f 152 is attached to the toilet lid or seat (not shown).

The cover 150 roughly resembles the toe-box of a conventional shoe in that it has a top wall 170 from which side walls 172 extend approximately at right angles with their edges 174 terminating in inwardly-projecting flanges 176. The top wall 170 and side walls 172 are interconnected by a forward or front wall 178.

Before installing the closure 150 of FIGURE 15, the hinge lea-f 152 is secured to the toilet seat or lid (not shown) by the screws 1 68 in a manner similar to that shown in FIGURE 2. The operator then places the entrance of the pocket 182 within the cover 150 adjacent the free end 1 84 of the hinge leaf arm 166 with the flanges 176 aligned with the r-abbets 160 beneath the shoulders 162. The operator then applies pres-sure to the end wall 178 to push the cover 150 onto the hinge leaf arm 156 while the flanges 176 slide along and engage the rabbets 160.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction comprising a hinge leaf having a fastener hole there'through and a counterbore connected to said fastener hole,

a fastener having a shank extending through said hole and an enlarged head seated in said counterbore,

a fastener cover engaging said hinge leaf and extending over said counterbore in concealing relationship therewith,

and means for securing said fastener cover to said hinge leaf,

said securing means comprising a projecting device on said cover extending into said counteribore in gripping engagement with the side wall thereof,

said projecting device including 'a pair of armate projection-s spaced apart from one another With a gap between adjacent ends thereof, said hinge leaf having a lug projecting into said counterbore into the gap between said arc-uate projections.

2. A fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction, according to claim 1, wherein said lug is slightly wider than said gap and thereby enters into wedging engagement with said projection ends.

3. A fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction comprising a hinge leaf having a fastener hole therethrough and a counterbore connected to said fastener hole,

a fastener having a shank extending through said hole and an enlarged head seated in said counterbore,

a fastener cover engaging said hinge leaf and extending over said counterbore in concealing relationship therewith,

and means for securing said fastener cover to said hinge leaf,

said securing means comprising a projecting device on said cover extending into said counterbore in gripping engagement with the side wall thereof,

said projecting device including a pair of armate projections spaced apart from one another with a gap between adjacent ends thereof, said hinge leaf having a shoulder spaced away from said countei bore and said cover including a plate carrying said arcuate projections and a hook portion engaging said shoulder.

4. A fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction comprising a hinge leaf having a fastener hole therethrou-gh and a 'counterbore connected to said fastener hole,

a fastener having a shank extending through said hole and an enlarged head seated in said counterbore,

a fastener cover engaging said hinge leaf and extending over said counterbore in concealing relationship therewith,

and means for securing said fastener cover to said hinge leaf,

said hinge leaf having a recess therein spaced apart from said fastener hole and said cover comprising a plate having a projecting device extending into said countenbore and a protrusion extending into said recess into gripping engagement with the side wall thereof.

5. A fastener-concealing hinge leaf construction comprising a hinge leaf having a fastener hole therethrough and a counterbore connected to said fastener hole,

a fastener having a shank extending through said hole and an enlarged head heated in said countenbore,

a fastener cover engaging said hinge leaf and extending over said counterbore in concealing relationship therewith,

and means for securing said fastener cover to said hinge lea'f,

said hinge vleaf having an additional fastener hole and countenbore therein spaced apart from said first-mentioned hole and counterbore and also having a recess disposed in the space therebetween,

said securing means including a pair of projecting devices aligned with and extending into said countenbore,

and said cover comprising a plate carrying saidprojecting devices and a protrusion extending into said recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,105 1/ 1877 Bristol 16-128 264,776 9/ 1882 Sharp.

604,713 5/1898 Benson l612-8 972,807 10/1910 Br-ant 63-29 1,096,269 5/1914 Saxe 20'-93 X 1,186,528 6/1916 Duggan 16149 1,576,527 3/1926 McBride. 2,248,493 7/1941 Curtiss 16-191 X FOREIGN PATENTS 216,385 7/ 1961 Austria.

509,005 2/ 1952 Belgium.

627,851 9/1961 Canada.

925,314 5/ 1963 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Examiner.

D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner, 

3. A FASTENER-CONCEALING HINGE LEAF CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A HINGE LEAF HAVING A FASTENER HOLE THERETHROUGH AND A COUNTERBORE CONNECTED TO SAID FASTENER HOLE, A FASTENER HAVING A SHANK EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOLE AND AN ENLARGED HEAD SEATED IN SAID COUNTERBORE, A FASTENER COVER ENGAGING SAID HINGE LEAF AND EXTENDING OVER SAID COUNTERBORE IN CONCEALING RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FASTENER COVER TO SAID HINGE LEAF, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING A PROJECTING DEVICE ON SAID COVER EXTENDING INTO SAID COUNTERBORE IN 